Coimbatore: The principal of a school here was on Saturday booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for not acting on a complaint from a student who died by suicide after a sexual assault by a teacher, police said.
The school head is now absconding and two special police teams were set up to trace her.
Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu M K Stalin expressed grief over the student's death and promised stringent action against the culprits. He said the act of "some human beasts" has taken away a life.
"Schools should ensure sexual assaults do not happen. (we) will arrest the culprits and bring them before the law... will ensure the safety of women," he said in a tweet.
Earlier today, a huge protest was held seeking the arrest of two more persons in connection with the death of the 17-year-old student and the teacher has been remanded in 15 days custody, the police said. A suicide note purportedly written by the victim blamed two other persons, including the school principal, for not acting on her complaint, they said.
Meanwhile, the police gathered evidence of the teacher sending the girl obscene messages and their conversation from her mobile phone.
The girl's body was sent to a government hospital for postmortem and the parents and relatives refused to accept the body as they demanded the arrest of the school head, the police said. Over 100 people comprising representatives of students' and women's organisations, SDPI and Thanthai Periyar Dravidar Kazhakam gathered in front of the girl's house demanding action against the school management and also the two named in the suicide note, police said.
The teacher has been sent to a sub-jail in Udumalpet, they said. The 17-year-old victim on Thursday hanged herself in her house as she could not overcome the trauma of the abuse in April last.